


Emptiness (What Kind of Friend Are You?)

by missrhondalee



Category: Laverne & Shirley (TV)
Genre: Depression, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friendship, Jealousy, Loneliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missrhondalee/pseuds/missrhondalee
Summary: Laverne can't sleep.
Relationships: Laverne DeFazio/Carmine Ragusa
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Emptiness (What Kind of Friend Are You?)

Laverne DeFazio sighed as she glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table: 2:06. For the past two weeks now, she had been unable to sleep and it was starting to take a toll on her sanity. It all started when she came home one night and found a note from Shirley saying she'd decided to follow Walter overseas. She'd waited her entire life to meet Mr. Right and she couldn't let him get away. Deep down, Laverne understood but the way her best friend had just packed her bags and left her without even a proper goodbye was a very tough pill to swallow. At first, she was angry beyond belief but now she was just down right depressed and to make things even worse, the girls had been fired from their jobs at Bardwell's a week before Shirley split so not only was she lonely, Laverne was barely holding on financially. If she didn't find something within the next couple of days, she could get into a lot of trouble. So Shirley's departure and not having a job was more than enough to make her unable to sleep and it was driving her crazy. The only one who checked up on her these days was Carmine, Frank had died of a heart attack two years ago and she knew if Shirley hadn't been there she would have never been able to move on, and he told her the other day that he would help her find a job but he had his own life to deal with including his girlfriend Suzy and needless to say the latter was taking up all his time.

Laverne groaned as she reluctantly got out of bed. She couldn't spend another sleepless night staring at the ceiling waiting for morning to come only to spend the day pitying herself eating junk food in front of the TV because she was too depressed to do anything else including going through the countless ads for a job. She had absolutely no motivation on her own to do this. How did people even find anything nowadays? Without turning the light on because that cost money and when you were as low as her on cash, every penny saved was important although she now realized it was stupid considering she'd leave the TV on basically 24/7 but she was too exhausted to make sense of anything at this point, she stepped out of her apartment in her pajamas and slippers and made her way up to Carmine's place. She knocked on the door quite loudly so he would hear it but not too loudly as not to wake up anyone else in the building especially Squiggy because if he woke up, hell would break loose. He was literally the last person she wanted to see right now. Laverne waited but there was no response although she knew Carmine was there because she heard him come home around ten o'clock. After knocking again and still nothing, she opened the door slowly only to be greeted by darkness. She knew she probably shouldn't do any of this but only the idea of going back to her place was enough to make her want to cry. She could hear him snore lightly as she stepped closer to his bedroom and she now found herself next to his bed. Okay, there was a chance Carmine might freak out if he woke up right now seeing a silhouette standing next to his bed, she knew if she saw someone she would definitely start screaming, but she was willing to take that chance. 'Carmine.' she whispered shaking him.

Like she'd anticipated he would, he woke up abruptly. "It's okay. It's me."

"Laverne?" he groaned, "Are you okay?"

His immediate concern was enough to make her start crying. He flicked the light on and groaned again when he realized it was the middle of the night. "What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"

Carmine's heart sank as he noticed the tears streaming down her face.

"I can't sleep." she looked so incredibly exhausted it was a miracle she could stand at this point. "Can I stay with you?"

He finally sat up properly and he nodded scratching his head, "Yeah uh, the sofa's pretty uncomfortable to sleep on but sure." he started getting out of bed to get her a pillow and a blanket but she stopped him.

"I can't sleep by myself..."

That sentence was enough to make him fully aware of what was going on. He'd been still confused with sleep but those words brought him back to reality.

"You don't mean you want to sleep in my bed?" now they were best friends sure, but he had a girlfriend and even he knew that was wrong. She repeated she couldn't sleep by herself. "Please."

"Suzy wouldn't like that." he was shaking his head, repeating he was going to get her a blanket.

Laverne couldn't help but cry harder, she was so desperate for sleep it was indescribable. "Please. I need to sleep, I'm losing it."

He bit his lower lip looking at her. She wasn't wiping her tears and it hurt him to see her like this. "All right." he gave in finally only because it was late and he had work in the morning, "But I'm not holding you or anything." now he knew if he did that, they'd definitely cross a line. It was no secret that they'd always been attracted to each other, if not romantically, then definitely physically and he knew she was vulnerable lately and he didn't want to lead her on or something.

"Thanks, Carmine."

It was eight o'clock when his alarm went off. Carmine heard it almost right away and as he slammed his hand down on top of the alarm to turn it off, he wondered why there was a woman's arm wrapped around his waist. He had no recollection of seeing Suzy last night but he did have a strange dream involving Laverne at some point and when he realized it wasn't his girlfriend's arm but his friend's, he understood it had been real life. Laverne moaned as he shook her gently. It had been the first real hours of sleep without being woken up by a nightmare that she's had since Shirley left so having to wake up right now felt like torture. Carmine shook her again but she held on tighter to him. "Five more minutes."

He chuckled, "I need to get ready for work, Laverne." he had a singing telegram to deliver in a retirement home it was some guy's 97th birthday and his family wanted to make a big deal of it. He had to show up dressed as a piece of birthday cake. Just another humiliation pilled upon the next at this point. Laverne reluctantly opened her eyes and let go of him.

"What time is it?"

"Five past eight. I'm sorry to have to almost kick you out of bed but I've got to shower and eat something quick. It's across town." Carmine tried to explain as he located a clean pair of socks. He suggested she went back to her place now.

Laverne reluctantly put her slippers back on. She sure as hell didn't want to spend the day all alone in front of the TV again.

She thanked him for letting her sleep over. "That's all right. How about I come over later this afternoon after work and help you find a job?" he told her he'd help her a week ago but he got sidetracked.

"No one's going to hire me." she remembered how tough it had been for her to find a job when they first moved here with Shirley three years ago. She remembered her friend getting hired practically on the spot while she had to spend weeks at home.

She shrugged, she even looked sad. "I'm a loser." after all why shouldn't she feel this way? Nothing was ever going right for her. Hell, her own best friend walked out on her for Christ's sake.

"Now come on, stop that." he caressed her arm as a way to cheer her up. "You'll find something. it just takes time."

Carmine glanced at the time, "I'm sorry Laverne, but I've got to get a move on if I want to be on time." he practically rushed her out the door.

"What time will you come?"

"Around five, five thirty. How's that?"

"I'll see you then."

Laverne barely had time to tell him goodbye that he'd already shut the door.

******

She'd been expecting him hours ago. Laverne had been waiting for Carmine for the past three hours and he still wasn't here. He couldn't possibly have forgotten about her, could he? Carmine coming over was the only thing she'd been looking forward to all day so she tried not to get upset. After all, maybe there was an emergency he couldn't get out of and he couldn't get to a phone to let her know he'd be late. Although to be fair, what kind of emergency required a singing telegram?! Or maybe he was stuck in traffic but that was far fetched. Okay, L.A.'s traffic was the worst but to be stuck for three entire hours? Now even she knew it was highly unlikely. The only rational reason she could come up with was that he definitely forgot about her. Trying not to let her emotions take over although it was incredibly hard at the moment, she rose from the couch and headed to Carmine's place. But when she found herself standing in front of the door, she heard giggling coming from inside. She'd been right and Laverne felt a sudden urge of anger rise up in her. Now she knew Suzy monopolized his life lately but for Carmine to forget his own best friend? Especially when he knew how depressed she has been recently? Now that really hurt.

Laverne couldn't help but knock frantically and he opened the door quickly.

Carmine smacked himself on the forehead the second he saw his best friend stand before him. "Oh, Laverne. I'm so sorry. I completely forgot I was supposed to come over." he tried to give her a plausible explanation because she looked like she was about to kill him and he couldn't blame her.

"You would not believe the day I had today. I was late at the retirement home and then an elderly person panicked at the sight of my costume, turns out he has a fear of birthdays - must be the whole getting closer to death thing. Anyway, the staff gave me the wrong room number-" he broke off when she didn't seem interested in what he was telling her. He felt like crap, especially when he knew what life had put her through those past couple weeks.

"I promise I'll come over first thing tomorrow morning. It's my day off."

"I waited for you for over three hours."

Carmine made a face, "I know. I'm sorry." what else could he say? He repeated he would come tomorrow morning.

"Why can't you help me now?" okay, yes, his girlfriend was here. But wasn't she his best friend? Wasn't she supposed to come first?

Carmine turned to look at Suzy who stood silently behind him and then back at Laverne whose wounded expression made his heart sink in a split second when he told her that wouldn't be possible.

"Why not?"

"Well, Suzy's here. I mean...you understand, right?"

Laverne scoffed shaking her head. "I understand I can't count on you! What kind of a friend are you, Ragusa?!" before he could even react she was rushing back to her apartment and he jumped at the slamming of the door.

  
  


********

  
  


Carmine Ragusa took a deep breath making his way to Laverne's place three hours later. Suzy was supposed to spend the night but ever since his encounter with Laverne earlier in the evening, he hadn't been able to think about anything else. He was too distracted and hell, he even felt guilty that he was having a good time with his girlfriend when his best friend was most likely sinking further into depression. After all, he did say he would help her and that was unlike him not to be there for his friends. 

He came in without knocking and he now realized he'd been right to feel terrible because as he walked closer to her, Carmine noticed the empty cheap wine bottle on the table. Now that wine had been in the fridge since Shirley's wedding two months ago. Laverne had so far managed to get through her best friend abandoning her without getting inebriated but she was only human and there was so much she could mentally take. Carmine forgetting about her had been the last straw. She stood near the oven waiting for the last pasta dish she miraculously found in the back of the freezer to defrost. Guilt overtook him again as he forced himself to look at her more carefully. She looked beyond miserable. Half of her blouse was untucked and her hair was up in a very messy bun.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend? We all know how important she is."

Not only was she glaring at him intensively so much so that it kind of scared him, Laverne also sounded like she was jealous of Suzy and why shouldn't she be? The woman was taking her only friend away from her.

"You're important too."

She scoffed not believing him, "Yeah, sure, I am." after all he didn't run after her or anything earlier. Hell, how important could she be if it took him three hours to check up on her?

Carmine cursed himself for being so thoughtless to begin with. She needed him and he hadn't been there. "Laverne, I'm sorry I forgot to come over."

"You didn't forget her!"

They began fighting when he apologized again but she wouldn't hear it and he got defensive when Laverne's jealousy got the best of her and she couldn't help but insult his girlfriend. "Now, you leave Suzy out of this-"

"I hate to break it to you Carmine but she isn't that bright!"

Now that comment offended him, "Oh, because you think you're being smart right now? I mean, look at you!" he gestured to her making her feel even more like a failure and she didn't know it would even be possible. "Do you think this is the answer?" he now gestured to the empty bottle. "I mean, don't you think that's actually kind of pathetic?!" he blurted angrily.

If she had been drinking just because he'd forgotten about her, sure it would have been excessive. But he knew damn well that was an accumulation of circumstances, one of which he was responsible for, that drove her to this and as she burst into tears, Carmine realized he'd gone too far. Kick her when she's already down, why don't you?

"Well, maybe if you made time for your friends in the first place I wouldn't have sunken this low!" she snapped loudly defending herself as the tears blurred her vision and she could barely see him anymore. She was sobbing now and it felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest as he watched her. _You did this, Ragusa_. _Nice going_.

There was an interminable pause and she was crying harder by each second that passed. Just as he was racking his brain trying to come up with something to say that would smooth things over, because he knew he messed up royally this time, the oven beeped.

He wasn't shouting anymore. He actually tried to be nice. "Is that your dinner? What are you having? Smells nice."

Laverne wasn't quite herself at the moment thus she forgot to put her oven mitts on and Carmine panicked as she was about to grab the scalding dish with her bare hand. "Wow. What are you doing?" He pushed her aside gently, "Why don't you let me?"

She was very upset with him so she refused his help and as he was trying to locate the oven mitts, she went ahead and tried to get the dish out herself. She yelped in pain suddenly and he couldn't help but yell at her although considering what he'd just blurted Carmine knew he would only be aggravating her. "I told you to let me do it. What's the matter with you?!"

He hurried her to the sink and turned the faucet on. He took hold of her wrist leading her red hand under the water. She hissed at the pain. "Stay still. Don't move."

Her crying had already been quite intense but now she couldn't even breathe properly anymore. Her hand was killing her but although she was now in physical pain, her emotional one was so much deeper. "It's gonna be okay."

"It's okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of those things. I'm sorry."

She shrugged, "You're right though. I'm pathetic." she could barely articulate but he still understood her.

Carmine hated himself for making her feel even worse. Laverne was the kind of person that was constantly belittling herself even more now after everything that's happened and what did he do? He put her further down. She was right, what kind of a friend was he? Despite her injury, Laverne buried her face in her hands and he immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she sobbed.

He only let go of her when she was slowly calming down. The last time he'd seen her crying this hard was when her father passed away. Her best friend abandoning her, although not in death, hurt nearly just as much. "Hey." Carmine placed his hands on her cheeks and wiped her tears. "You want to come over to my place?"

She nodded quickly, "Can I spend the night again?"

"Yes. But tomorrow night you're back in your own bed, all right?"

She flung her arms around his neck and he chuckled accepting the hug.

  
  


Carmine took her hand and led her up to his apartment. She'd managed to stop crying by the time they stepped inside. He suddenly remembered she'd burned herself when he saw her cradling her sore hand against her body. "Does it still hurt?"

Laverne nodded silently and he made a face looking at it. 'All right. Let me see if I have anything.' he told her to just sit on the bed. As she staggered toward it, he went to check his medicine cabinet. He came back not even a minute later with some lotion and bandages. He didn't know how long the lotion had been in there but he figured it couldn't hurt.

He rubbed her hand slowly, "How does that feel?"

The way Carmine was acting towards her right now, caring and actually concerned for her well being, mingled with the alcohol she'd consumed somehow made her feel like perhaps there was actually more than there was between them. Her judgment was clouded and as he tightened the bandage so it would stay in place, Laverne felt this urge overtaking her. Before Carmine even had time to react, let alone comprehend, Laverne was kissing him frantically. She was sitting on the edge of his bed and she pulled him toward her causing Carmine to lose his balance and fall on top of her. He managed to stop her just as she was trying to undo his pants and she whined as he pulled away from her panting loudly.

Carmine thanked the Lord silently for his girlfriend's existence because if it wasn't for her, he might have taken advantage. Maybe he wouldn't have gone all the way but....the fact that that thought had even in the slightest crossed his mind to begin with made him feel like a bum.

"We can't do this."

"Why not?"

"Laverne, you don't want to do something you're gonna regret tomorrow."

She shook her head, "I'm not gonna regret it." she tugged at his shirt and she cried as he removed her hands. "Don't you love me?"

"This is _because_ I love you that I'm saying no."

She cried harder as he leaned in to kiss her on the head.

Laverne wiped at her eyes repeatedly, "Will you really help me look for a job?"

"Yes." there was no way he was going to let himself forget about it again. Besides, he knew Laverne could get in serious trouble if she didn't find something soon. "But not now. Now you need to get some sleep, all right?" he even removed her shoes for her but this time he kept his distances so she wouldn't start up again. He also thought it would be best if he actually slept on the sofa tonight and he was relieved when she seemed to understand.

"I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

Carmine turned around as she called for him, "Can you leave the door open?" she obviously did want him to sleep beside her but she knew she wouldn't get that so if she could at least hear him move around the living room, it would make her feel less alone. He wished her good night as he turned the light off and left the door ajar. When he briefly glanced inside his bedroom ten minutes later, Laverne had passed out.

  
  


********

  
  


It has now been two weeks since Carmine started helping Laverne look for a job and as the days went by without as much as a call back, Laverne felt herself sink back into depression, her anxiety gnawing at her. Like she knew she would, she had been unable to pay her bills let alone the rent so Carmine had to intervene. He'd been saving that money to fix up his car, which was in need of a new battery but he figured he could wait a couple more months. Lending Laverne that money was Carmine's way of making up for not having been there for her. Just as she was staring at the phone praying that it would ring, she knew she shouldn't do that but she couldn't help herself, she actually panicked when it suddenly did. She picked up right away and she burst into tears when the person on the other side wanted to know how soon she could start. She couldn't believe it, 'You're hiring me?' Laverne found herself thanking them profusely when they confirmed they were.

He was trying to locate the remote control underneath the sofa cushions when his front door suddenly burst open. "Oh, Carmine!" Laverne exclaimed rushing to him. He wasn't expecting her and Carmine laughed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Wow. Someone's happy." seeing how depressed she's been for the past month, it was a nice change of pace.

She was jumping up and down. "Guess what?! I got a job!"

He'd been wanting to hear those words for weeks and he couldn't believe it, "No!"

She nodded frantically, "Yes!"

"Which one?"

"Ajax Aerospace. I start on Monday."

"I told you things would work out." He was the one hugging her this time. "Oh, I'm so happy for you." and he really was. "You deserve it."

"Thanks, Carmine. I wouldn't have gotten it without you."

"What are friends for?"

Although this was a happy time, there was something they needed to talk about and she felt like now was the perfect time to do it. 'You know Carmine,' she began as she felt her cheeks redden with shame, "I never thanked you for the other night."

They hadn't even mentioned that night once since.

"You could have taken advantage and you didn't. I appreciate that."

She stammered, "I'm just so embarrassed-"

"Don't be. I think you were just at the end of your rope, you know? That's very understandable. Don't worry about it."

They smiled at each other.

"I'll pay you back as soon as I can. You'll have that new battery in no time."

"I'm not worried about it."

There was a rather awkward pause where they half smiled at each other. Laverne knew he was seeing his girlfriend later tonight so they'd have to celebrate her new job another night. Or so she thought. Carmine hadn't seen his best friend with a smile on her face in over a month and he wanted to keep it that way. He knew if she was left on her own too much, it would blow up at some point again.

"You want to come to dinner with us? My treat."

She gave him a confused look, "You want me to come on your date with Suzy?" now she missed going on dates that was true, but she wasn't that desperate.

"Yeah." he stammered, "I mean, it wouldn't be a date obviously. It would just be us hanging out, you know? We could celebrate your new job. What do you say?"

"You really want me there?"

He nodded quickly, "Yes. So what do you say?"

"I would love to."

  
  



End file.
